A Tale of Dusk and Dawn
by SpeakerofNaught
Summary: Two nations, forever locked in a constant struggle of spite and vengeance. Slowly, a romance blooms between two divided by both war and sky. NaruHina as the main pairing. AU. Rated for language, violence, and more.
1. Of the Moon and Sun

Hey guys, before you read this story, please let me clear some thing up first. This is an AU story, meaning Alternate Universe. Most AU stories still take place in the Naruto Canon story, but add or subtract something to it. This story is not one of those. Everything in it is revamped. There are the same characters, personalities, and similar backgrounds, but it is NOT canon in any sense of the word. If your looking for a world you already know everything about, then this is not the story for you. If you want something new, then continue reading.

You will have some questions, ask them with a signed review and I'll answer them with the best of my ability. If you use an anonymous review, then I cant respond to you.

Enjoy, and rest assured that I will try to address everything with a explanation as it comes up. If you decide later that this story is not you cup of tea, then check out my other stories, because their a bit more on track with canon, though completely original in their own way.

_**Hinata**_

Moonlight shone brightly, bathing the small village in jagged, sharp shadows and gave the illusion that each rock, leaf, and flower were glowing with its own faint, radiant light. The view from her balcony never ceased to take the breath from her, no matter how long she stares or how many times she wakes up to the sight.

Willing herself away from her balcony, she crossed the large bedroom to the immodest vanity mirror. After a quick look over, she straightened the small tendril of dark hair, tightened the slack on one side of the large bow that kept her uniform from opening to the world, and let out a small, depressed sigh.

Today was suppose to be her day off, but the Western Moon Temple had been attacked. Although there wasn't much damage to the building itself, some of the relics had fallen off of there stands. Tradition dictated that only the Moon Priestess's were permitted to even touch the precious artifacts. Sadly, until her sister, Hanabi, came of age, she was the only Moon Priestess alive.

Supposedly, the title was eligible to all members of the Main Branch of her family, but around the time of her thirteenth birthday, the year at which she had gone with her sister to the Eastern Moon Temple to train to be a Priestess, her family shrine was attacked. Her mother and father were two of the many Hyuga's who died during the raid, leaving her and Hanabi to be the only Main Branch Hyuga left.

Since that time, she had resolved herself to try to bring an end to this war. After many visits to the archives, libraries, and her own personal stash of books and scrolls, she came to the realization that nobody could remember why they were fighting with the people of Kasai, aside from the childish need for revenge against the last attack the respective group had suffered. Though she was sad to admit it, she had become somewhat apathetic to the meaningless squabble. Sure, she sympathized with those hurt, blessed the small groups of warriors that left to fight, and kept up with updates from the Divide, but she could not bring herself to actively hate anyone that lived under the Sun.

She did, however, harbor a grudge against those who killed her family, but that was a personal vendetta. Though her family had never been very close, always being called away for matters that needed the Priestess's to resolve, she still loved them. The blame fell upon those who had taken part in the act, not the nation as a whole.

A gentle knock sounded from her door, interrupting her thoughts. "Hinata, may I enter?" came the calm voice of Neji, her servant. Neji had traveled with her and Hanabi to the Eastern Moon Temple, meaning he was the only remaining Branch Family member.

"Yes" she called back. As Neji walked in, she seen that he was carrying a bowl with a white cloth covering the top. The boy showed all the poise and control of a Hyuga as he sat the silver bowl on the table next to the entrance, then calmly shut the door.

The moment the door was closed, his shoulders visibly slouched and his posture became slightly more slack. "Hey," he called out, his voice more relaxed "your horse is ready, and Kotetsu and Genma are waiting."

"Are you not suppose to curtsy or something when you greet me?" she asked, teasingly.

The only immediate response from the boy was a rude gesture as he sunk into an armchair in the corner of her room.

She couldn't help but smile at his informal attitude. Since the Eastern Moon Temple trip, Hanabi and herself had grown closer to their cousin. The quiet boy was more of a brother than a servant to them, but tradition forced him into the role. Though he showed a respectful aura when in public, he became much more relaxed when he was alone with the two girls.

"I'll curtsy to you the day I kiss a Kasai." he grumbled. He did not share her views when it came to the attack on their family. He wanted the entire nation to burn under the fireball they worshiped.

"I'll hold you to that, you know."

"You just keep thinking that, because it will never happen. Anyways, I've brought you a snack. Its a long trip to the Western Temple, and I don't want you losing control and going after something fresh. Your enough of a pain when your not crying over something you've killed." he added that last part with a hint of a disapproving undertone.

Glancing up towards the Moon, she said "It has been a couple cycles since I've eaten anything... Fine, give it here." she held out her hands, but turned her head slightly to the side. Wincing at the thought.

Taking the cloth off of the bowl, he revealed a large, sedated squirrel laying inside. Picking it up by the tail, he laid it in her hands.

As she brought it closer to her mouth, she felt her two fangs slowly grow...

* * *

_**Naruto**_

"Damn it Konohamaru, where the Hell did you guys go?" he whispered to himself as he ran thought the trees. _"What are they thinking, running into the Divide by themselves?"_

In an attempt to prove themselves, Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi ran off into the Divide after he had told them that he could survive for a week on the dangerous lands. The terrain of the Divide wasn't the dangerous part, it was what lurked inside that scared him.

The Divide was, basically, the land that stretched out endlessly North and South where the two nations of Kasai and Tsuki met. The area was only about a Kilometer wide, with Kasai on the Eastern side and Tsuki on the Western. Inside of the Divide, neither the Sun nor the Moon could be seen, but their combined light gave the area a ethereal setting. The Sun would light up the Eastern half of the Divide, while the Moon lite up the the Western side, nearly canceling out all shadows in the area. But, of in the few shadows they could hide themselves in, the creatures of Tsuki could see straight through, due to their uncanny ability to see in the pitch black.

Luckily, the parasites of Tsuki had a much lower population than Kasai, and two humans could overpower a single Tsuki, whereas the creatures possessed speed and strength that far exceeded the Kasai. Also in the Kasai's favor, was the rare ability to use jutsu.

Nobody truly understood how jutsu were decided, but those that were born with the trait had the ability to use one or more jutsu. Of the few people that were blessed to be born with a jutsu, even fewer ever realized that they could use them. The jutsu could be taught, they could only be discovered by those that had the ability to use them. Most people, that could use them, had the ability to only use one or two, but Naruto was one of the luck ones that could use three, four if you looked at it from certain perspectives.

As he propelled himself through the Divide, he came across a small dirt road. Judging by how the Moonlight overpowered the Sunlight, he came to the conclusion that the road must have been made by Tsuki, which meant Konohamaru and his team were deep in enemy territory. _"Damn."_

The sound of shifting gravel reached his ears. Just coming into view, was a small group walking towards him on the road. From the looks, two foot soldiers and a woman in a priestess's outfit atop a horse. The first soldier had what appeared to be a bandage wrapped tightly from the left ear, across the bridge of his nose, and across to the other ear. The second one was slightly taller, and held a senbon needle in his mouth.

The woman looked to be around his age, but he knew that their appearances could be quite deceiving, for he had seen the leader of Tsuki herself, but for all the eighty years she had run the nation, she appeared to be no older than her early twenties. The woman in front of him had skin as white as the Moon she supposedly worshiped, and long, dark hair. The most prominent of her features though, were her eyes. They were a dull, off white color. Even though the half of his brain that dictated survival told him to run as far away as possible, the other half told him to stay staring. She was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

He watched from the high treetops as the group walked in silence, until they were nearly below him.

The guard that had the bandage on his head let out small chuckle, "Well, well, well," he laughed "What do we have here?"

_**Hinata**_

"Well, well, well," Izumo laughed "what do we have here?" With a casual strike of his hand, he reached inside a bush that was right off to the side of the path.

"HEY!" cried of a nasally voice from inside the shrub "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!"

Without the slightest bit of strain, Izumo pulled a small boy out from the bush. The boy was lanky, had sloppy brown hair and a long scarf around his neck, which Izumo was using as a handle.

"And he has friends." called Genma, pulling a small girl and a runny nosed boy out from another shrub.

"LET GO!" screamed the little girl, as one of her pigtails came undone while she struggled. The other boy just cried, not even putting up a fight.

Holding the first boy up to his face, "You guys came along at the perfect time. Now, we don't need to hunt for dinner." Izumo said before showing his teeth.

The blood ran from the boys face as he watched Izumo's fangs slowly grow.

"E-enough," she called out, trying to muster as much authority as she could. Despite the effort, her voice still seemed to waiver. Her shy side always seemed to surface, no matter the circumstance. Now that she had their attention though, she let a bit of a nurturing tone slip into voice. "W-why are you three so far from your home?"

"W-w-we were," the boy tried to say, but his trembling voice made the rest of his sentence incoherent.

Gently sliding off of her horse, she took a step towards the group, intending to try to comfort the boy. She was a bleeding heart when it came to children. But the moment her foot touched the ground, she was grabbed and held from behind. She could feel cold, sharp steel being pressed to her neck.

Izumo and Genma's reaction was instant. Within a quarter of a second, they each had a blade pressed to the children's throats.

Her captor was the first to speak. "Let the kids go, or..." he trailed off as he pressed the blade harder into her throat, slightly piercing her skin. His voice was not necessarily deep, but not very high either.

Neither side let go of their hostage for countless seconds. Trying to keep her whirling thoughts fairly calm, she whispered very carefully "E-excuse me, m-may I speak?" She tried not to move her throat, fearing she may cut her own neck farther than it already was.

When the pressure of the blade let up slightly, she took that as a yes. "Let the children g-go, the two of you have gone too far. This senseless b-bloodshed has to stop if this war is ever going to end." As soon as she was done, the blade at her neck moved back to its original position, slightly digging into her skin.

Reluctantly, the three kids were lowered to the ground. "Go back home." commanded her captor, his voice angry.

"But Boss, we-" started the kid with the scarf.

"Go!" he said with a low tone, his voice holding the utmost authority.

Hesitantly, they left

None of the remaining group moved an inch for almost an entire minute.

"Let her go." warned Izumo, his voice cautious, but even. "We held up our end of the deal."

Several more seconds passed in silence, then, his grip lessened, and he gave her back the majority of her balance. Finally, the knife left her throat. Quickly, she moved back to her two guards.

He was dressed in the usual fashion of all Kasai elites, though he was missing the white mask and black cloak they always wore. His blond hair grew out in jagged points, with a pair of plate blue eyes. Like all Kasai, he was fairly tan.

Much to her embarrassment, just the thought that he was holding her against him made her blush.

She had never had much of a love life, even though her title permitted her to have one. Since she was currently the only Moon Priestess alive, she was given many more daily duties to perform than the usual case. Those reasons aside, she had just never found anyone that she felt an immediate connection to, and since she was always busy, she never had enough time to form one with anybody.

Over the years, Ino had introduced her to many, many cute boys, but none of them had ever appealed to her as much as the boy in front of her did.

Then, as quickly as he appeared, he vanished into the tree line.

"Should we go after him Priestess?" asked Genma, digging through the pouch at his waist. Pulling out a small bandage, he handed it to her.

"N-no," she stammered, her face red. Hopefully, the two men would think the blood in her face was from the slight cut on her neck, not the thought of the boy. "I meant what I said. I'm very disappointed in how you two treated those children."

"But Priestess," pleaded Izumo "you of all people know that they don't hold back against our kids."

With that said, he had crossed the line, and by the look that stretched across his face, he knew it.

Just under Tsunade, the Hyuga were the highest authority figures in Tsuki. They alone were the only ones that the Moon Spirit, Yuumei, spoke to. The spirit's personality was much like hers; respectful, quiet, kind. It was Hinata's job to fulfill Yuumei's wishes, like all Moon Priestess's before her. So when a Priestess was mad at someone, they didn't even have to be under the pretenses that it was for Yuumei, the Priestess could demand any punishment and it would be fulfilled. Though, any Priestess that abused their power fell from Yuumei's blessing, usually resulting in a fatal accident within the hour.

Without a word to her guard, she climbed on her horse and continued on her way to the temple. Thoughts of the boy how just threatened to kill her flooding her mind.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

"What the Hell were you three thinking?!" demanded Naruto. As soon as they were out of the Divide, he had found a small clearing to properly yell at the thirteen-year old's.

"You were telling us how awesome it was in there," explained Konohamaru, pushing a pebble around with his foot. "Since you said we were really good at hiding, I thought we could, you know, stay out of sight if anything came."

"Yeah," agreed Moegi "and nobody got hurt, so why are you so mad?"

"Why am I mad?!" yelled Naruto. To the extent of his knowledge, the Tsuki never just let someone go. They like to toy around with their food before they eat. "If it had come down to a fight, theres noway I could have won against them! We could have all DIED!"

"I thought the Kyuubi helped you out?" asked Udon.

"That Bastard can't do shit while in the Divide. Plus, he doesn't," holding up his fingers to show a quotation "'interfere with daily happenings.'"

Since his birth, he has been marked by the Sun Spirit, Kyuubi. To be marked by the Fox was a rare occurrence, only happening once every couple hundred years. Because of this, everyone in Kasai knew who he was. He couldn't walk down the street without a hail of requests, asking for the Kyuubi's blessings of water for their crops, or for him to perform a wedding ceremony. Every once in a while, he was even asked by random women who wanted to bare his child. Being only nineteen, he would politely refuse, blushing as he walked away.

But despite the number of requests that were asked of him, only a surprising few ever reached the Kyuubi's ears. Even fewer requests were ever granted. The reason was simple...

The Kyuubi, was an ass.

And to make matters worse, the damn Fox had an affinity for torturing him.

Some days, when he was working outside or taking long walks, it was not uncommon to feel the temperature spike up twenty degrees and hear a faint laugh at the edge of his consciousness.

Aside from the extra attention he received from the god, he still viewed the mark on his navel as a curse.

While everyone knew of Uzumaki Naruto: Marked Child of the Kyuubi, very few knew Uzumaki Naruto: The Person.

Looking through the sky, he found that the ever-present Sun had already hit its peak and was beginning its decent, following the same path it took upward. "Come on," demanded Naruto "if we hurry, we might be able to make it back by mid-set."

But because of the kids slow pace, they didn't make it back to Kasai until the sun had hit the horizon and started rising again with its six hour cycles.

Kasai was a large village with a equally large population. The surrounding forest stretched through the Divide, and deep into Tsuki territory. To the North, layed the vast desert that was also split by the Divide, and to the South, were the jagged mountains, which were nearly exclusive to the Kasai region. Since very little of Tsuki has been mapped by humans, they could only speculate as to what other regions were on the other side.

After a few more scoldings, the three parted from Naruto as he headed to his home. His house had originally belonged to his mother, Kushina, who had moved to Kasai from the desert city of Sarube soon after their his father, Minato, a highly revered medical specialist, had died of a plague that he had self-infected in order to try testing a potential cure. Though the medicine was a success, he was to far into the illness to be saved by it. Sarutobi, a long time friend of Minato and Hokage of Kasai, offered Kushina a home in Kasai, where she could raise Naruto free from money problems.

But no long after Naruto's seventh birthday, Kushina had died from a new variant of the plague that killed her husband. Since then, Naruto had shared his home with Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, three siblings that were abandoned by their father after their mother had died. Sarutobi had Kankuro and Temari, who were old enough to take care of Gaara and Naruto, raise the two.

Two years ago, Kankuro had met a woman and moved out to marry her. Followed by Temari moving out to the desert. She had an uncanny understanding of air currents and had been offered a position on a research team trying to build a experimental flying machine. Judging by the letters they received from her, they were drawing up a prototype.

Now, it was just him and Gaara living together. The two had become as close as true brothers through the years, but Gaara still remained strangely distant. He had been traumatized by his father before the man left, but refused to say a word about it, even to Naruto.

At the age of twelve, Naruto and Gaara had gone to the Hokage saying that they wanted to train to become shinobi to help defend their homeland. It was while the two were in the old mans office that Kakashi appeared, late for an appointment that was meant to take place an hour beforehand. From that point on, they were put under the care of Kakashi, an ANBU that begrudgingly came to accept the two as his students. It was after Naruto started to learn to channel chakra when the seal on his navel revealed itself and the voice of the fox invaded his head.

As sadistic as the bastard Fox was, it still impressed upon Naruto the idea of peace. If it had been any other shinobi that held the knife to the priestess's neck earlier, then they would have slit her throat before attempting to run away. Everyone had lost someone to the Tsuki, Naruto included.

"_**A priestess you say?"**_ came a deep, resonating voice from inside his head.

"_Ugh,"_ mentally sighed Naruto. The last thing he wanted right now was to talk with the Fox.

"_**Ugh?**_" repeated the fox **_"I know I created you humans with a higher thinking capacity than just 'Ugh'"_**

"_What do you want?"_ caved Naruto. He had long ago realized that the Fox was something that wouldn't go away until it was satisfied.

"_**I was just wondering what happened in the Divide. As you know, my power can't extend that far. But then, much to my surprise, I come across you thinking about a priestess. May I inquire which one?"**_ The Spirit actually seemed interested about this topic.

"_Why would you care?"_

"_**Well, I have to admit, I outdid myself when I created a couple of them. You like the petite ones, right? There's this one female in the Southern Temple. She's very flexible and-"**_

"_Wait, wait, wait,"_ shouted Naruto mentally and verbally, causing several people on the street to stop and stare. _"What the Hell has gotten into you? You never offer to help me, but now, your acting like a giddy school girl."_

"_**You see,"**_ said the Kyuubi, its tone turning lecturing **_"When I created you, love was one of the most precious gifts I gave you... That, and I'm about to learn if I win a bet or not. Very little happens thats out of my control, so this is kind of a big deal to me."_**

"_What bet?"_ did gods make bets? And if so, with who? _"Arn't you a god? Shouldn't you know everything?"_

"_**Yes, but unlike you, I can choose what I do and don't know."**_ it answered smugly.

"_How is that even possi-"_ he started before falling into a puddle of water. But as he hit the surface, he broke through it. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a vast pool of water. The bottom to deep to see.

As soon as he broke the surface, he found himself face down in the shallow puddle. _"Oh, right, your a god."_ he mentally slapped himself.

"_**Why do you ask questions you already know?"**_ asked the Fox, sage like.

Ignoring the hypocrisy, he trudge on, soaking wet.

"_**Back to the matter at hand,"**_ said the Kyuubi **_"which priestess?"_**

"_It's not like _that_."_ answered Naruto, emphasizing the word 'that'.

"_**The hormones in your body at the time say otherwise."**_

"_How would you know what I was feeling in the Divide? I though your power only went..."_ he trailed off as he walked around another large puddle. _"Fine," _he grunted as he mustered up the best image of the woman in the Divide as he could.

Seconds ticked by in silence.

"_**Oh, a Tsuki..."**_ said the Fox, almost as if he was taken off guard. Then, **_"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"_** harder than he had ever heard it laugh before.

"_Hey, whats so funny about it!?"_ demanded Naruto.

"_**Everything!"**_ came the simple, whimsical voice. **_"During the entirety of your race, if I didn't wish it, then it didn't happen. But now, you fall for the one entity on this planet that I have absolutely no power over!"_**

"I didn't fall for her!" screamed Naruto, causing more people to stare _"... and what do you mean by not having power over her?"_

"_**If a normal person of Tsuki were to cross the border, then I would have the same power over them as I would you or anyone else, but this woman is the same to the Yuumei as you are to me."**_ it laughed again **_"Your entangled in a romance that not even us gods can dictate!"_**

Authors Note: Well, please tell me what you thought.

If you have a question, ask with a SIGNED review. Keep in mind that while I'm trying to think of everything that this world enthralls, there are some that clash, and are just not physically possible, such as the Sun and Moon. So, I'll try to make a guide at the end of each chapter that will explain everything as it comes up. But I DONT want to hear complaints such as 'That can't be possible!' or such.

Also, this reflects religious views that many might object to, but keep in mind, this is fiction, so deal with it.

Oh, and if you can think up a good name to call the continent, then I'd love to use it. I'm looking for

something that holds all the feel of the current names, but is unique on its own.

_**World Guide**_

Sun and Moon - In this world, the Sun and Moon are a constant for their perspective sides. The Sun rises to its peak hours in which its directly overhead then sets to the horizon before rising again. Each interval takes six hours. The moon is stationary, but goes through its monthly cycle (It is symbolized as female) from new through full in a twenty four hour period.

Divide – The Divide is the area between Tsuki and Kasai. Inside that area, neither the Moon nor the Sun can be seen, causing a twilight like appearance. Neither Kyuubi or Yuumei hold any power within the Divide, though nobody knows why.

Kasai – is a synonym for fire in Japanese. I'm not sure what context its used in, but thats the word I'm using. Kasai is the capital city for all of the land that the Sun reigns over and is located several miles from the Divide. Also a term used for all people that reside under the Sun.

Tsuki – means moon in Japanese. Its the capital city for everything under the Moon. It is located several miles from the Divide. Also a term used for all people that reside under the Moon.

Sarube – An synonym for sand in Japanese. Same as Kasai, I don't know what context its used in, but I'm using it as the name of the large province that resides in the desert on the border of the ocean, where they receive supplies by boat from other provinces.

Yuumei – The name of the Moon Spirit, in which the people of Tsuki worship. The spirit is usually referred to as female and usually takes the form of a liquid silver fox. So far, she is the only OC I have in this story. Her connection to Kyuubi is unknown at this point.

Kyuubi - The name of the Sun Spirit in which the people of Kasai worship. The spirit is usually referred to as Male and takes the form of a large, flaming fox. Though referred to as a demon in the canon story, he is a god in this story. His connection to Yuumei is unknown at this point.

Hyuga – Hyuga is the name of the family in which Yuumei chose to use as her servants and speakers. The irony in this group is that the name literally means 'Into the Sun', though that is only in canon story.


	2. Veil of Clouds

Hey guys, long time, no see. If you've read any of my other works, you've probably figured out that I'm a fairly unreliable writer. I'm sorry, but I've got a lot on my plate. Even on my free time, if I'm not in the mood to write, then I don't. I love to write, but I do enjoy my time outside, too. I'm gonna instantly shift over to one of my other works so I can write them out while I'm still in the mood.

Herin need to be smoothed out a little, but it's, overall, nearly done. If your upset about my Reflection/Illusions notice, I've had a change of heart. I'll explain that on my next update to it.

As for this story, I haven't really introduced anything new to the world, but if you have any questions, then feel free to ask. When I was initially writing this, I intended Kasai to be on the Western side, but I accidentally switched them in editing. I'm keeping it as it is, but in my mind it's how I originally seen it as. If you see a error in my story, please point it out. Thanks!

(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the original concept, characters, locations, or any of the such. Not like much of that matters in this story anyways...)

A Tale of Dusk and Dawn

Veil of Clouds

**Naruto**

**(One month Later)**

"Sweety," cooed Naruto lovingly as he sat down at the breakfast table "can you make my eggs scrambled this morning?"

The half cooked egg was still simmering as it splattered across his face, courtesy of the apron wearing Gaara.

The red head ignored his brother's cries of pain as he gently cracked another egg open and dropped it onto the pan. "Naruto," scowled Gaara evenly. "you are perfectly aware that you have an important mission today, yet you still senselessly get injured. You can endanger your comrades with such carelessness."

"Like Hell, you bastard!" screamed Naruto after he wiped all of the boiling egg away. "How's it my fault when your the one flinging omelets around?"

"You said the exact same line last week," explained Gaara as he folded the egg. "and I had the exact same reaction. Your the one at fault, not me."

"**The burned hand teaches best,"** came wise words from inside his mind. **"but I'm not entirely sure how well the burnt face teaches. I assume it would be even better..."** mused the Fox god.

He just resigned himself to an incoherent grumble. "Wait," he asked as he recalled Gaara's words "what mission? That old man hasn't assigned me to anything."

"A messenger came for you today." Gaara explained "You have an urgent mission. I woke you up earlier and told you about it. I asked you if you understood, and you told me yes... You were suppose to be there by nine."

Looking at the clock, he seen it was nine-fifteen.

"WHAT?!" he screamed. Looking at himself, he deemed his basic baggy jeans and orange t-shirt suitable for the public eyes. After grabbing his jacket that was lying on the arm of their couch, he was out the door.

Since it was early, the streets weren't as crowded as they usually are. Meaning it would be faster to run by road.

"_Hey,"_ he shouted in his mind. _"do think you could give me a bit of luck so I don't get chewed out?"_

"**I'll see what I can do." **came the deep, resonating voice from nowhere.

"Thanks." he physically said moments before a man pushing a fruit cart blocked his way.

"Wow!" he screamed as he barely dodged it.

"**Haha,"** laughed the Kyuubi whimsically **"this is going to be fun."**

**Five Minutes Later**

Neither the Hokage, Rock Lee, or Sakura said a word as Naruto slammed the large wooden door behind him, completely out of breath and scratched from head to toe. If it was anyone else that had barged in like that, they would inquire as to what had happened to them. When it comes to Naruto, they had learned that it's best to just not ask.

"Um, Naruto" started Sakura with a pointing nod "your arms on fire."

"Huh," he asked as he looked down. Sure enough, there was a tiny flame burning a hole in his sleeve. "Oh." he said as he patted it out.

"Your late." summed up the old man.

"I'm cursed." retorted Naruto as he took a seat be Sakura.

"Naruto," Lee greeted enthusiastically "you look like your enjoying life to its fullest!"

All he received was a tired nod.

"Anyways," started the Hokage as he pulled a file from his desk "on to business. A couple weeks ago, a research team was sent over the border to study some odd type of herb that grows only in Tsuki. They were due to be back last week, but never reported in."

"You want us to go find them?" asked Naruto.

"Yes. Lee, Sakura, and you will be going."

"Sounds easy enough." he said confidently.

"But there's a catch." added Sakura.

"A catch?"

"Yes." said elder man as he handed them both a small stack of papers each. "Since it was just a research group, they were given special documents, signed by both their leader and I, that they have permission to be within Tsuki's borders. They had permission to be there and were entirely expected. In order to cross the border, you three will have to be a part of that research team, which means you have to go disguised."

"Wait, wait, wait," he demanded disbelievingly, "I can understand having to sneak in there, but in disguises? Wouldn't be easier to just slip past everyone?"

"No." Came the flat reply. "We got permission strictly by swearing to abide by their rules. There was a set path that they were told to follow, they had to be inspected by the Tsuki border patrol, and they were ordered to send a detailed report to the Tsuki leader, Tsunade, everyday by messenger bird."

"It would be kinda suspicious if they came to check up on them and found three extra people." added Sakura.

"I guess..." he said.

"Could it have been a trap to gain some hostages?" asked Lee "We could be walking straight into their hands." He finished with a slightly worried glance in Naruto's direction.

"I'm a shinobi first," Naruto told him "messenger from god second."

"It's too cleaver." responded the old man. "Tsunade usually prefers to take advantage of opportunities as they prevent themselves. Her eyes are sharper than her mind, so to speak."

"But that doesn't mean she's not capable of it, right?" chipped in Sakura. "You don't lead an entire nation through a war with a incompetent leader."

"It is possible that it's a trap," answered Sarutobe as he pulled out a blank sheet of paper from his desk, and started scribbling on it "but not likely. She has always been true to her word. That, and a small group of Herbalists would hardly be worth breaking the fragile peace we've fallen into. But, on the off chance that it is a trap, you three are going." He paused to concentrate on his writing for a few seconds.

"Lee," he continued "you can fight on par with their best in terms of speed and strength. Sakura, your the teams support unit. The research team may have a good reason for not keeping in contact, so its your duty to handle them and any other injuries. Naruto, your there to back up Lee with your jutsu."

The three nodded.

"So," started Naruto as he scanned the pages he was handed. "it looks like a pocket knife wouldn't even make it through their inspections. Do we have to be searched?"

"Yes. That means no weapons or any other suspicious tools." answered the old man as he rolled up the paper and set it in an envelope. "Take this to the aviary, Sakura. Attach it to the large black bird and let it go."

"Okay." she said as she took it.

"They will be expecting you on their side of the Divide, directly west of here. Set up a large camp fire and wait for the inspection team to arrive." he commanded "And remember, we're at a hairline thin peace right now, but this mission may open up opportunities for us to resolve our differences. Leave as soon as possible. Be polite, be respectful, and most of all, don't get caught!"

"Right!" said Sakura strongly.

"Got'cha!" Naruto yelled confidently.

"Of Course!" agreed Lee as he struck a pose.

**Hinata**

Meian stubbornly pulled against her reins in protest as Hinata tried to pull her to her feet. She couldn't blame the poor horse, though. Three days ago, she had received notice that an old friend of hers was getting married to a wealthy nobleman. Though she couldn't have been prouder of her friend, the grooms guests were nothing short of irritating, childish, and obnoxious. Luckily, she had Neji and Sasuke as her guards throughout the entire ordeal. No one could turn people away like they could.

To the public eye, they were proper and cold, but to their friends, they were more relaxed. Sasuke only recently started letting others close to him, but the presence of bonds had already changed him significantly for the better. Considering what he had been through as a child, he could have turned out much worse.

"Come on, Meian." she begged the horse. Though her natural strength was enough to make the horse lean towards her, it did not budge an inch. "I'll give you something really good when we get home, I promise!" she coaxed.

It just blinked lazily at her.

"Just leave her here for right now." suggested Neji as he walk up to her. A long rope wrapped around his arm. Before she could protest, he explained "We'll only be gone for a couple of hours."

"What do we have to do?" she asked. As soon as they had settled down for sleep, a hawk had shown up. With it, were orders from Tsunade. Since she was a person of high importance, she always traveled with the strongest couple soldiers that were available at the time of her departure. And since Tsuki had a critically low population, it wasn't all that uncommon for her guards to have secondary missions to complete while escorting her around the nation. The problem, though, was that she was not a fighter.

Sure, she was stronger and faster than the average Kasai, but in a real fight, she wouldn't last ten seconds. With Neji and Sasuke, two of the strongest people she knew, acting as guards, it all but insure that she'd have an eventful trip. And it scared her.

She could still feel the remnants of the cold blade that pressed against her throat a month ago... The thought gave her chills just thinking about it.

"It should be a relatively easy one." Sasuke said as he took the reins from her. As he and Neji secured Meian to a tree with the long length of rope, he explained. "There are a couple researchers from Kasai joining up with another group of Kasai. We've gotta make sure they're not armed or planning anything."

"Tsunade let some Kasai's cross the border?" she asked in shock. Its not as though Tsunade was cold hearted, but she had lost a lot to the enemy nation and wasn't one to just forgive and forget.

"Yeah," confirmed Neji distastefully. His hatred for the Kasai tainting his voice "but they haven't turned in a status report in a while, so we're assuming their low on supplies. If you ask me, she's being way to lenient."

"Maybe she's trying to bring this war to an end." she said hopefully "We can only pray."

"Regardless of the reason," butted in Sasuke as he handed her a small travel bag "we have to do it. So lets get it over with."

"Where are we meeting them?" she asked as she pulled her arms through it.

With a quick scan of the area, Neji pointed to a dim fire-light that lite the sky to the South-East. "That's them."

**Naruto**

"How long do we have to wait?" complained Naruto as he held the tip of a long stick into the campfire. "I wish they'd just show up already."

"Have some patients, Naruto." suggested Lee as he uncomfortably shifted around in his disguise. While Naruto and Sakura got to wear their civilian clothes, he had to go and buy some, so called, 'comfort clothes'. The irony is that they were not comfortable in the least. The loose cloth wrinkled and bunched up when he sat on them, making whatever he sat on have a rippled surface.

"I have to agree with Naruto." sided Sakura. "It kinda wears on the nerves to be waiting to see if your attacked or not."

"I guess," agreed Lee, then his tone turned optimistic "but just knowing that we might be taking part in one of the first official, non-hostile meetings between us in over a century makes my blood boil with anticipation! Keep in mind, though, all good things come with time, so all we can do is make the best of any situation until it improves!"

"Is he agreeing with us?" Naruto asked Sakura in a whisper as Lee continued his speech.

"I'm really not sure." answered Sakura. "Um, Naruto..."

"What?" he asked.

"Your hands about to be-" she started to warn him, but was interrupted by Naruto's scream. The stick he was burning had caught fire during Lee's speech and burnt down to his hand.

As soon as he stopped jumping around, Sakura told him "There's some burn packets in my bag, under the bandages."

She had been born with the very rare type of jutsu that allowed her to heal wounds. A missing limb was a bit out of her ability, but a burned hand could be healed within seconds. With the possibility that the Tsuki's were watching them, though, Naruto was just going to have to use traditional means.

As he ran to the tent, Sakura tried to pick backup on Lee's speech. He was now ranting about the lack of moral fiber amongst the youth.

"...But with hard work and perseverance, we can overcome those... faults..." he trailed off as he turned to the surrounding forest.

Seconds later, three Tsuki's walked out into the fire light.

Instantly, Sakura was on her feet. Lee, who was already standing, moved quickly to her side.

The two leading were male. The fore-first one was, like them all, pale. He had medium length, black hair that stuck out in stylized spikes. His eyes were different than the others, though. He had hard, cold gaze and a stern, angular face. He wore a basic, tight black jacket with a white undershirt and black pants.

The second guy was just as cold looking, but completely opposite the first. While the first one was dark based, this one had white eyes, and wore an off white, long sleeve shirt that fit very loosely and over-ran his arms.

The woman in the group was hiding behind the two men, so Sakura couldn't make out any details.

One of the most disturbing things about any Tsuki, is that they never wear uniforms, unlike the standard gear all Kasai are usually required to wear while on missions. It gave the Tsuki an odd ambiance. Almost as if they were assigned to be your own personal death.

"Hello," greeted Lee evenly as he pulled a stack of papers from the bag at his feet and then calmly approached the group. "my name is Rock Lee. I'm part of the research group that has permission to be in this area."

Slowly, he held out the papers to the man with the dark eyes.

The man gentle took the papers and skimmed over them before handing them back to Lee with a nod. "We were told there were three of you." he said as he looked between Lee and Sakura. "Where's the third member?" he demanded softly.

Staying in place, Sakura spoke up. "My names Haruno Sakura. Our third member is in the tent," she pointed out "tending to a burn wound. His name is Naruto."

"Will you please retrieve him," asked the one with the white eyes. "I would like to begin the inspection as soon as possible."

"Yes." answered Lee as he disappeared into the tent.

Moments later, the two came walking out of the tent. Lee took up his position next to Sakura. Naruto, on the other hand, stood wide-eyed as he stared at the woman in the group.

The woman stared back.

Well, there you have it. Any questions? Then leave a review while signed in. Please tell me if you think this is worth continuing.


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